Spindle.



G. M. WHITIN.

SPINDLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1912.

19m/4,996. Patented 061121913.

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COLUMUI{\ PLANDGRAPH C0., WASHNGTON, DJC.

UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE lVI. WHITIN, 0F WHITINSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, .ASSIST-NOR TO THE WHITI'N MACHINE W'OEKS, 0F WHITNSVILLE, MSSACHUSETTS, A GBPGEATION OE MAS- SACHUSETTS.

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Specification o f Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 7,1913.

vTQ all whom, ,tmrag/ concern Be it known that l, GEORGE M WHITIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Whitinsville, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented the following-described new and useful Improvements in Spindles.

The invention relates niore particularly to self-contained and seli'fbalanciiig spindles for ring-spinning frames, and its object is to improve the action of such spindles in respect of their lubrication and the power required for driving them.

To this end the invention is concerned especially with a certain disposition of the bearings for the spindle-blade upon the bolster and of the bearings of the latter upon the bolster-case, together with an arrangement of clearances cooperating with such hearings and the other elements to produce a smooth running spindle consuming a inininiuin of power and adaptedhto be safely used at high speeds without risk of cil slingng.

In the one sheet of drawings forming part hereof, Figure l represents in central longitudinal section on line lvl of Fig. 3, a spindle having its bearings and clearances arranged according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of Fig. l on line llfl. Fig. 3 is a crossfsection on the line 1117111. Fig l is a perspective broken view of the bolster proper; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail of the upper spindle bearing on line Ve-.V of Fig. 3.

The general principle of constructioirof the new spindle and its inode of operation are the same as now universally used and kno-wn as 'the selffbalancing type. The bolster .case is formed of .one piece with a headlange 1 and a depending tubular body portion 2, which is to be inserted in an aperture in the spindle rail and `clamped rigidly thereto by the nut 3., which is threaded to the exterior of the body, as will be well understood. The liead flange .l :is formed with a laterally extending and upturned arm in `which an yoil supply 4duct d is formed, .and

'the end of the duet in the upstancling part of the arm has a cover 5 inthe .forni a p'vcted datent for lock-ing the .Spindle against 'accidental removal 'from the cese- The .oil duct e .leads to the top .of an interior enlargement or chamber 16 inside the body el? die bolster ease, Wliieh ohfunber .ss-arves as a reservoir `for the Supply of oil for lubricating the bearings ofthe spindle as solid one-piece metallic tube, as shown more clearly in Fig.- 4, eXternally Shaped to tit non-rotatably and loosely within the bolster oase, resting thereon att-he bottoni upon e step-piece 8; which projeots upwardly from the bottoni end of the oaseE The top of this step piece .is flat, es is also the foot9 of the bolster which rests on it, so that the lower end of the bolster Will .thus be ,free to find its own position in the case according to the Well understood action vof Selbalanoing spindles. The upper portion of the bolster tube is of somewhat larger outside diameter, as indicated at l() in Fig, 4c, and Ifits the bore of the rigid boss 7 to about two to six thon- ,sandtlis 4of an inch, so that the upper as well as the lower Portion of the bolster is capable of sulloient .lateral movement to provide .for its selffadiuetmont to the axis 'of rotation of the loaded spindle. The heavy lines in Figs. 2 and 3 are intended to ,indicate the looseness of t of the bolster within its rigid boss 7. The interior bor-Q -Qf the boss and the .exterior surface 1 0 .of the bolster are both preferably cylindrical, and the engagement Aor contact the latter yhas with the A"former, extends from the top of the oil reservoir -6 upward, `to o point slightly below :the upper end of the boss 7, ,thus forming e lony 'bearing for the bolster which is interseoted meer litS middle by the plane of the whirl and Spndlefband.

l @ln operation, the pull' of the Spindle-band presses' the cylindroal ,Surface of the bolster against the corresponding eiirfeoe .of the bore of the boss, and thereby, by .reason of .the extended .length of suoli contact, tends .to aline the tube .Spindle positively With the axis of the .spinning ring.-v The bolster shorter than the .interorof the bolster ,llo

case and the oil-shield 12 on the spindleblade overhangs its upper end in the space thus provided within the top of the boss. A key 11 is formed on or secured to the bearing surface 10 to engage a corresponding vertical key-way in the bore of the boss to hold the bolster from rotating `with the spindle blade.

The interior of the one-piece bolster isk bored and accurately reamed to provide thek vone and one-half diameters of the spindle at that point. The upper spindle bearing marked 15, and which forms the sole lateral support of the spindle above the foot-step, is substantially centered longitudinally between the upper and lower ends of the bolster bearing 10 above referred to, so that it is thus also substantially bi-sected by the horizontal plane of the spindle-band. This upper spindle bearing is preferably cylindrical and is of reduced length as compared to upper spindle bearings heretofore used. Its length is reduced in the present case by enlarging or lengthening the spindle clearance 16 that separates it from the surface 111 of the foot-step bearing, so that such clearance will extend upwardly as shown in Fig. 1 from the footstep bearing to a point some distance above the top of the oil reservoir. This clearance is conveniently formed by boring the bolster straight and making the spindle blade tapering, the taper running from the full diameter indicated by the line a in Fig. 5, to the bearing surface 14 of the foot-step. The length of the upper spindle bearing 15, is reduced also vat the upper end by providing a special spindle clearance in the top of the bolster which is done by counter-boring the same as indicated at 17 in the drawings.

When the spindle blade 18 is in contact with the aforesaid spindle bearings, the whirl 2O overhangs and surrounds the boss 7 as above stated. According tothe customary and most convenient method of manufacturing spindles, the whirl is mounted on the spindle by driving or forcing its hub 19 downwardly against the upward taper of the upper part of the spindle blade until it is forcibly brought to its desired position thereon just above the oil shield 12. The force necessary to produce a good driven fit, causes a disturbance or thickening of the metal of the blade just in advance 0f the hub as it is moved to place, this disturbance being within the whirl where it cannot readily be corrected. I have observed that the shape or sect-ion of the blade as originally finished is thus distorted for a distance equal to about two diameters ofthe spindle, more or less, below the hub, depending upon the force used, so that if the portion of the spindle-blade immediately below the hub and o-il shield forms any part of the upper spindle bearing, the proper metal to metal contact of such bearing is apt to becomevinterrupted, thereby producing friction and increased power consump tion, besides interfering seriously with the balance and smooth running of the spindle. According to this invention, the downward extent Aor depth of the counterbore 17 is made sufiicient to include such distorted region, and thus avoid the objections noted, being at the same time cordinated wit-h the length of the upper spindle bearing, so that the latter will be substantially bilsected by the plane of the spindle band as above stated, the lower clearance 16 being extend-V ed upwardly a suit-able amount for this purpose, as already explained.y In spindles of standard and approved proportions these reductions of the bearing 1-5 leave a true metal to metal contact Lfor the blade upon the bolster equal in length to not more than three times the diameter of the blade at the bearing, that is to say, the diameter of the spindle blade at the bearing equals or is greater than one third of the vertical length of the bearing, and I have ascertained that such relationship of the bearings and clearances in a self-balancing spindle of the kind described is eifective under conditions of ordinary running to reduce the power consumption per spindle by at least as much as ten per cent. and frequently as much as twenty per cent., which in the aggregate represents a very desirable economy in the spinning frame as a whole. The said relationship of bearings and clearances moreover affords a substantial improvement in the lubrication of the spindle in that the upper open clearance 17 serves as an upper oil reservoir for the oil working upward on the spindle blade through the spindle bearing 15. The side walls of this counterbored reservoir are out away to form two lateral outlets 21 (Fig. 4) which communicateV with the longitudinal channels 22 formed on the outside of the bolster and leading downwardly through the alining bearing 10, of the bolster on the boss 7, to the main oil supply reservoir 6, where the bolster is provided with holes 23, to give access for the oil to the lower part of the spindle blade. When the blade is in rotation a continuous unrestricted circulation of oil takes place from the 'reservoir through the holes in the bolster, upward on the spindle-blade to the said upper reservoir 17 and thence back by way of the outlets 21 and the exterior channels 22 to the reservoir 6. Through the maintenance of true and uniform metal to metal contact for the upper spindle bearing and also, as I believe, by reason of the capacity of the upper clearance to hold and collect oil, a further advantage is gained in that the tendency for the oil to work on to the inside of the whirl whence it will be slung off on to the yarn by the centrifugal effect, is very appreciably diminished, which permits the spindle to be run at higher speeds without risk of soiling the yarn, or to be used with lubricating` oil of less specific gravity, either of which is obviously desirable. Together with the new objects attained as above stated, the retention of the long alining bearing between the bolster tube and the boss 7, with a spindle bearing the length of which is reduced at both ends and toward the center of such bolster-alining bearing, the whole being substantially centralized to the spindle-band plane, insures stability and proper balancing effect for the loaded spindle.

I claim- 1. A self-contained, self-balancing spindle comprising a bolster case having an upstanding rigid boss surrounded by a spindle whirl, a self-adjusting bolster having Adirect alining contact with the bore of such boss above and below the plane oi. the whirl, and counterbored at the top to provide a spindle clearance within such bolster and within the boss, in combination with a whirl-supporting spindle-blade having upper and lower metal to metal bearings upon such bolster, the said upper spindle bearing being of less vertical extent than the said alining bearing of the bolster and interseoted by the plane of the whirl.

2. A self-contained self-balancing spindle comprising a bolster-case having an upstanding rigid tubular boss surrounded by a spindle whirl, a self-adjusting bolster mounted within the case and boss below the top of the latter and having positive alining bearing upon the bore of such boss, such bearing being intersected by the plane ot' the whirl, in combination with a whirlsupport ing spindle-blade journaled in metal to metal Contact with the upper and lower bearings on the interior of the bolster, the uppermost of its bearings being of less vertical eXtent than the said alining bearing and being also intersected substantially at its middle by the plane of the whirl, the said whirl being driven onto the spindle blade and spaced a distance equal to two or more diameters of the spindle blade from the said uppermost bearing.

3. A self-contained, self-balancing spindle comprising a rigidly supported bolster-case having an upstanding rigid boss surrounded by a spindle whirl, a metal bolster self-adjustingly supported and contained within the case and boss and having direct bearing contact on the bore of such boss above and below the plane of the whirl adapted for positively alining said bolster with the axis of the spinning ring, such bolster being internally bored, and thereby providing a foot-step bearing for the spindle, a clearance for the spindle above such bearing, and an upper bearing for the spindle extending upward from said clearance toa point below the top of the bolster, whereby said bearing terminates below the upper end of said aline ing bearing, in combination with a spindle blade supported in metal to metal contact with the said upper and foot-step bearings of the bolster and having said Whirl thereon.

4. A self-contained, self-balancing spindle comprising a rigidly supported bolster-case having an upstanding rigid boss surrounded by the spindle whirl, a self-adjusting metal bolster within the case and boss in direct bearing contact on the bore of the latter above and below the plane of the spindle band, such bolsterbeing provided with a toet-step bearing for the spindle, and a clearance space above such bearing, and also with an upper spindle bearing intersected by the plane of the spindle band, in combination with a spindle having a blade supported in metal to metal contact with the said interior bearings in such bolster, said blade having a diameter in the region of its engagement with the upper of said bearings, which equals or is greater than onethird of the length of said bearing.

5. In a self-contained, balancing spindle having a bolster case provided with an oil reservoir and an upstanding rigid boss, a self-adjusting spindle bolster therein having its top below the top of the boss and internally bored to provide a foot step and an upper spindle bearing, and counterbored at the top to provide an open spindle clearance above the upper spindle bearing, a longitudinal channel formed on the exterior of the bolster intersecting the said counterbored clearance space whereby the oil therein may pass to the said oil reservoir, and one or more perforations in the lower part of the bolster for admitting oil to the spindle below the said upper bearing.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. WHITIN. Witnesses:

OsoAR L. OWEN, ROBERT L. METCALF.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissione: of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

